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DUNEDIN, FLA.—It was almost an hour after he’d come off the mound, but Blue Jays starter Brett Cecil was still steaming in the locker room.

Cecil’s workmanlike effort in a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday was undone in a five-run fifth, capped by a three-run Dan Uggla homer. One bad pitch makes little difference in a spring training game.

But Cecil said afterward that he has been struggling to find the velocity on his two-seam and four-seam fastballs. Pitches that generally top out in the low 90s are clocking in at 87 and 88 m.p.h. this spring.

“Anybody in the league can jump on 87 if it’s elevated a little bit,” Cecil said disgustedly.

The 24-year-old said he’s suffering no pain or tiredness in his arm, but was clearly frustrated at being unable to locate the mechanical cause of the problem.

Though swearing is commonplace in a man’s game, it’s exceedingly rare in scrums.

“I’m just going to try some different things, in terms of working out,” Cecil said. He noted that fellow starter Ricky Romero pointed out that he may be gripping the ball too hard, trying to overthrow the heater.

“I’m not overly concerned,” Jays boss John Farrell said. “It’s not that he’s lost velocity off his fastball. I just don’t think his velocity is built up to where it will be and that will come through continuing to get innings.”

Farrell said there’s no plan to have Cecil’s arm checked out by medical staff.

LAWRIE LOOKS AHEAD: Brett Lawrie does not look disappointed. Brett Lawrie looks like he knows something no one else knows.

The Langley, B.C., native was back at minor-league camp on Thursday, tucked into a clubhouse so tightly packed it looks like an army barracks.

Lawrie, 21, said “there were days” when he thought he might break camp with the Jays. Instead, he’s headed to Las Vegas for his first stint at the Triple-A level. Jose Bautista will start at third for now.

But Lawrie’s head isn’t down — quite the opposite.

“Our timelines just aren’t the same right now,” Lawrie said. “I know Bautista wants to play right field, so I’ve heard.”

So he’s heard.

Lawrie sounds like a young man who feels his moment is close at hand and within his control.

“Things start to go wrong when you start thinking about the next level,” he said. “I’m not worried about anything that’s going on. I’m just worried about playing baseball.”

He said all the right things about working hard and having fun. He also paid homage to the flag, another factor heavily mitigating in his favour.

“It feels good to have the maple leaf on my chest again. I know there are a lot of Canadians out there rooting for me,” Lawrie said.

They’ll be doing it in person rather sooner than later, it would seem, if Lawrie’s broad hints are anything to go by.

BUNT BOOSTER: It’s the last week of spring training and penetrating questions are thin on the ground. This is how a conversation wound around to John Farrell’s batting history on Thursday. Farrell’s basic position on hitting boils down to “not in favour.”

“That was the reason I pitched,” he said.

To Farrell’s best recollection, he last hit in a spring training game 20 years ago. Lifetime big-league batting average? .000.

“There you go!” Farrell said, brightening for a moment before screwing up his face again.

“Man, I was a .250 hitter in high school.”

Under Farrell’s management, should any Jays pitcher be called on to bat in spring training, he will put down a sacrifice bunt, whether there’s a baserunner to move over or not.

J-MAC SHUT DOWN: Shortstop John McDonald has been sidelined as a precautionary measure because of “right forearm soreness,” according to Farrell.

Is forearm soreness catching?

FRANCISCO UNFAZED: Would-be closer Frank Francisco brushed off his much-talked-about right biceps and pectoral problem Thursday as nothing new and nothing to be worried about.

“I know what I’m dealing with. It’s not a big deal,” Francisco said.

The Jays plan to start him on a throwing program Sunday, beginning with soft-tossing and progressing through to a minor-league outing. Farrell said there is no timetable for his return.

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